Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

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Area: Epistemology, Literature/Language Arts
Grade Level: Middle School, Primary/Elementary School
Topics: metaphysics
Estimated Time Necessary: 30-60 minutes; can be split into multiple sessions

Lesson Plan

Objectives:
Explore philosophical themes in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Think together about the nature of knowledge.
Students will have an opportunity to think together about the nature of knowledge, what counts as knowledge, how we come by knowledge, etc..

Chapter 12, “The Mirror of Erised”

Harry discovers the “Mirror of Erised,” a mystical mirror that shows us the “deepest and most desperate desires of our hearts.” The mirror shows Harry images of himself surrounded by a loving family, and he becomes entranced by the images he sees, wanting to return to the mirror again and again to stare into it. The school’s headmaster, Dumbledore, warns him, “The mirror will give us neither knowledge nor truth,” and that “it does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.”

For this lesson, you can use either the physical version of the story or this clip of Harry’s conversation with Dumbledore while he sits in front of the Mirror of Erised is a good alternative for those who do not have the book or need a shorter prompt than reading the entire chapter aloud.

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Video

Discussion Questions

  • What do you think you would see looking into this mirror?
  • Would the mirror be able to tell you something you don't already know?
  • Can the mirror really tell you the deepest desire of your heart? If you don't already know what it is, can it be your deepest desire?
  • What does Dumbledore mean when he tells Harry that the mirror cannot give him knowledge or truth?
  • Must knowledge about the world be knowledge about how the world really is (and not just how it appears to us)?
  • Can images like those in the mirror give us knowledge?
  • Could you develop some self-understanding through looking at what you see in the mirror that you wouldn't otherwise have?

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